Car Accident Lawyer Kansas City, MO. After you have been hurt in a car or truck accident, worrying about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between car repairs, medical treatment, and mental trauma or anguish, the impact of an car accident in Kansas City, MO can easily overwhelm anyone, doubly so when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the restitution you deserve.
Contact Our Kansas City, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Kansas City, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are unsure about how to proceed. Our Kansas City car accident lawyer reviews accident reports, gathers evidence, and corresponds with insurance or financial representatives on behalf of their clients. We fight fearlessly for all our Kansas City, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only fair and just compensation, but also closure following an incredibly traumatic experience.
After you’ve been in a Kansas City, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Kansas City, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers free initial consultations, and guarantees that won’t owe us a penny if we do not get a positive outcome in your case.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Complete Kansas City, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Kansas City to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Unfortunately, though, car accidents regularly occur, whether due to poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. Injuries and property damage can range from bumps and bruises and small scratches and dings, to life-changing injuries and vehicles better suited as scrap metal.
As veteran Kansas City, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled all kinds of car accident claims and personally viewed how the effects of a car accident in Kansas City can alter someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and has seen the lengths insurance companies go to avoid paying just restitution to Kansas City accident victims. We offer client-centered legal strategies that are tailor-made to satisfy your unique needs and give our clients closure in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Kansas City, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is likely that people will be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having dealt with many car accident clients across Kansas City, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests that all our clients do the following after their car accident:
- Make sure you are safe. Pull over to somewhere where you will not obstruct traffic, if you can, and check to see if you are hurt.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to talk with police and get a full report of your car accident, but if you or someone else is severely injured you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police arrive, tell the truth about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that suggest guilt can and will be used against you by insurance providers when finding fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your license, registration, and insurance details, which you are legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is incredibly easy to document your Kansas City, MO accident and gather evidence. Take photos of all damage, skid marks, where one or more cars collided, as well as the general area around your accident. If there were pedestrians or passersby who witnessed your accident, it is wise to record their accounts of the accident, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical care. If you were hurt as a result of your Kansas City car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more affordable and convenient option than a trip to the emergency room. However, larger and more serious injuries will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The faster you speak to a reputable and understanding Kansas City, MO car accident lawyer, the quicker they can start working on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
As well as these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients save the following receipts and documentation. They can help a great deal when discussing settlement terms, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Kansas City, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Pictures of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness accounts
- All medical-related bills (ambulance fees, physical therapy costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair records
- Incidental bills such as rental car receipts
- Lost earning opportunities
- Records of pain and suffering directly caused by your accident
What Damages Can I Recover After A Car Accident?
In general, there are five types of damages someone can claim after a car accident in Kansas City, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not strictly restricted to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim reimbursement for medications, psychiatric care, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as crutches, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally this is determined by what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to fully perform work, and how the lasting effects of your accident/injuries may keep you from working to your full ability in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair/replacement of your car as well as any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Kansas City auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to explain, since for the most part the amount of difficulty one goes through after an accident varies from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in mental health, lingering symptoms, and attitude is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Kansas City, MO car accident may result in a victim sustaining permanent injuries. While in a substantial number of cases those injuries are permanent and compensation cannot soothe the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more freedom to adapt to their new normal.
It is also important to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the quantity of damages one or more parties can take home is reduced based on how much at fault they were for causing a car accident. Missouri is a pure comparative fault state, which allows for even someone who was determined to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Kansas City, MO Car Accident Lawyer Who Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the muscle and acumen of an elite Kansas City, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one care of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Kansas City residents of all backgrounds to obtain the justice they deserve following a car accident in Kansas City, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, meaning that unless you win your Kansas City, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us anything.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Kansas City, MO caused by another party’s negligence, do not hesitate: contact a Kansas City car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched document review.
